


Remember When You Were Young (You Shone Like the Sun)

by Rai_Knightshade



Series: The Bradyverse [8]
Category: MacGyver (TV 2016)
Genre: Cleaning, Family, Family Bonding, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Fluff, Future Fic, House Cleaning, Inspired by Music, Kid Fic, M/M, Music
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-11
Updated: 2020-01-11
Packaged: 2021-02-27 05:40:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,829
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22211932
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rai_Knightshade/pseuds/Rai_Knightshade
Summary: In which the Macgyver-Dalton's mix work with play as they clean their house, and a small new addition to the family makes their entrance!
Relationships: Angus MacGyver (MacGyver TV 2016) & Original Child Character (s), Angus MacGyver (MacGyver TV 2016) & Original Female Character(s), Angus MacGyver (MacGyver TV 2016) & Original Male Character(s), Jack Dalton & Angus MacGyver (MacGyver TV 2016), Jack Dalton (MacGyver TV 2016) & Original Child Character(s), Jack Dalton (MacGyver TV 2016) & Original Female Character(s), Jack Dalton (MacGyver TV 2016) & Original Male Character(s), Jack Dalton/Angus MacGyver (MacGyver TV 2016)
Series: The Bradyverse [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1561579
Comments: 12
Kudos: 30





	Remember When You Were Young (You Shone Like the Sun)

**Author's Note:**

> I had two other fics I wanted to work on but this plot bunny took me by the horns instead, so family jam time is what y'all get instead. Takes place half a year or so (give or take) after the Christmas and New Year's fics, so Brady and Arista are nine (or almost nine in Arista's case).

"Hey buddy, can you hand me that rag? I need it to dust this shelf up here."

"Sure Papa! Here ya go!"

"Thanks!" Jack Dalton-Macgyver grinned as he took the proffered rag from his son Brady. They were cleaning the main living area of their ranch house, a monthly endeavor that involved lots of rags, vacuuming, and jamming out to Jack's personal favorite playlist. Jack would never admit it out loud lest he 'ruin his reputation', but he looked forward to cleaning every month. Cleaning day meant he got to bond with his son, since his husband Mac would be busy with their daughter Arista (they'd alternate tasks each month, so this month they were in charge of the bathrooms and kitchen while Jack and Brady worked on the living room and bedrooms).

So, here they were, tidying up the living room, Jack doing the high dusting while Brady, still rather short even at the age of 9, did the low dusting and polishing. Jack was, of course, keeping up a steady stream of conversation (the day Jack Dalton-Macgyver fell silent would be the day pigs flew and hell froze over, of that he was certain), though Brady kept up remarkably well; no doubt he'd be just like his Papa when he was older, at least in this field, especially combined with Mac's need to explain everything he did. Together they'd talked about anything and everything: the weather, Jack's childhood adventures, stories from his and Mac's early years together, some of Brady's own adventures from school, rodeos, music, etc. Their most recent topic was the music that was playing in the background, a mixture of rock 'n roll and country that Jack had curated over the years. Mac tolerated it, but Brady, in a surprise twist of fate, actually shared Jack's taste in music, hence why he cleaned with Jack while Mac and Arista cleaned elsewhere, listening to their own music. (Mac's playlist, by the way, was an eclectic mix of pop-rock and alternative punk, or what the kids these days call 'emo music', from the 90's to the present day.)

It was a weird system but hey, it worked for them and that was what mattered.

"So anyway bud, there I was, up in the nosebleeds, having the time of my  _ life _ up there let me tell ya, when suddenly the whole stadium goes  _ dead silent _ . I dunno that anyone was even  _ breathin' _ , we were so caught up in the anticipation as those electric guitar chords faded out. And then...."

"Then what, Pop? What happened next????"

"Then.... They played those four notes, and the whole stadium let out a sigh and a cheer. It was beautiful, kid, nothin' like it in the whole world." Jack's eyes got a little misty then as he looked off into space, as though he were looking back in time to that one moment.

"I wish I coulda seen them like that," Brady sighed wistfully. "It woulda been so cool."

"You'll find a band like that for yourself, kiddo, and when that happens I hope you'll be able to see them the same way I saw Pink, and I hope it's every bit as magical as that moment was," Jack replied with a smile.

"Yeah! I'll find my own band, and have one of those Moments™ of my own!" Brady punctuated his declaration with a fist pump that Jack mirrored. The two grinned at each other, then lapsed into a companionable silence as they continued cleaning. Eventually, as the saxophone in the background faded out, Brady made the comment, "So, Pops, d'you have any other cool concert stories?"

Jack paused his dusting and pondered that a moment, before his answer finally came to him. "Well, there  _ was _ that time I got so drunk at a Metallica concert I threw up in the parking lot--"

Before Jack could get going on his (inevitably long-winded) story, however, the next song started playing and an iconic 5-note bass line filled the room. Both father and son stilled and looked at one another, matching maniacal grins overtaking their faces.

* * *

"...And that's how we got kicked out of Prague permanently," Angus Macgyver-Dalton finished with a chuckle, looking back at his daughter as they came down the stairwell. She nodded thoughtfully, eyes wide with awe.

"Whooaaaaaaa."

"Whoa is right." They reached the bottom of the stairs and deposited their cleaning supplies next to the last step, pausing to stretch a moment as they listened to Jack's playlist echoing through the ground floor. "Hey, why don't we check on your father and brother while we're down here, hmm?" Mac asked, looking down at Arista.

She nodded in agreement, curious to see how far they'd gotten in their cleaning tasks. "Yup! I bet they haven't gotten near as far as we have, that prize is as good as ours Daddy!" 

(It wouldn't be a Macgyver-Dalton Cleaning Day™ if a bet on who could get done first wasn't involved. The prizes this month were a family trip to a museum if Mac and Rissy won, or a trip to an amusement park if Jack and Brady won. Truly high stakes.)

(Mac and Jack had their own... Personal bet, you could say, going too, though you would be hard-pressed to say the loser on that particular bet would really "lose" much of anything.)

Mac grinned conspiratorially. "Between you and me? I think you're right, but let's check on them to be sure." Rissy grinned right back and led the way through the hall to the living room, skipping along the whole way as Mac laughed softly.

She came to a sudden stop in the doorway, slowly turning her head back to look at Mac with a very confused look on her face. Mac was, understandably, puzzled at this reaction, and came to stand next to her to see what she'd found.

In that moment, he questioned all the life choices that had led to him marrying one Jack Wyatt Dalton Jr.

"EEEEXIT LIGHT! EN-TER NIIIGHT! TAAAAKKEEE MY HAND-- OFF TO NEVER NEVER LAND!!" Jack and Brady scream-sang in unison, heads banging along with the bass and drums. As the main guitar solo took off, they jammed along with their own air guitars, pointing to each other and just generally rocking out. And when the solo ended, they did the call and response prayer like they'd done it a thousand times.

Mac privately thought that was probably the case considering how many times his husband and son had jammed out in the GTO together.

At any rate, the two showed no signs of stopping--or even acknowledging Mac and Arista--so Mac decided to just cut in. "What... on  _ Earth... _ are you two doing??"

The two wannabe-Rockers looked up with matching grins. "We're rockin' out Mac! You should join in!" Jack called out over the music.

"Yeah! You too Rissy! Come jam with us!!" Chimed Brady.

Mac and Rissy just looked at each other, then looked back and spoke in unison. "No thanks, we're good."

Both father and son looked disappointed. "Awww, come on Daddy! It's so much fun!" Brady pointed at something behind the other two. "And see! Eli's doing it too!"

The other two turned to look behind them, following the pointed finger and the soft sound of tinkling and squeaking to find the youngest Dalton-Macgyver, Eliza May, bouncing in her little walker with a gummy smile and a stream of coos and babbles.

With her Metallica onesie, big brown eyes and tiny mohawk, there was no doubt in anyone's mind that she was a Dalton; however, the dimpled grin, button nose, and sandy blonde hair were a perfect match for Mac and Brady. The perfect blend of both fathers, belying her origin as a rather... Unique child, one of many found on Mac and Jack's final official Phoenix mission. Who knew sperm donation could lead to busting an illegal test tube baby breeding ring? Let alone adding yet another member to the ever-expanding Macgyver-Dalton clan?? Needless to say she was a surprise, but a welcome one for her parents and siblings.

"Awww, that's my girl! If we weren't already sure who her Papa was, we are now; all true Daltons know how to jam to good music!"

Arista frowned at that, looking back at Jack while Mac moved to take Eliza out of her walker. "But I'm not jamming, does that mea-"

"Now you stop that thought right there baby girl! Just because you won't jam to the greatest rockers of all time with me 'n your bro does  _ not _ mean you aren't a jammin' Dalton; don't think I haven't seen you boppin' away to one of my Salt 'n Peppa CD's when you think your bedroom door is closed. You're a Dalton through-n-through, doll." And Jack punctuated his statement with a pointed finger even as he smirked at his elder daughter. Arista blushed scarlet at her father's declaration, even as, internally, she felt her insecurities easing.

Mac came back to stand beside her as she stammered through a response, the baby in his arms still wiggling to the music. He had a world-weary look in his eyes as he said, "Oh joy, another Metallica fan in the family."

"Aww, come on love, it ain't that bad! 'Sides, she's bound to love some of your favorites too ya know!" As he spoke Jack reached for the infant, who made grabby hands for him. Mac gave her up easily, a soft smile on his face as he watched Jack nuzzle her nose with his.

"Maybe you're right, but until then me and Rissy'll go listen to our own music and leave you three to it." The elder girl nodded resolutely, even as the current song finally faded out.

"A'course I'm right--oww ow ow ok Eli you gotta stop grabbing Papa's beard baby girl, that hurts--I mean, when am I not right?" 

Mac opened his mouth-- 

"Don't actually answer that babe."

\--and promptly closed it with a clack.

"Aww, you sure you guys don't wanna jam with us? It'll be fun, even if you only sorta like the music 'cause all the fun's in the dancing!" Brady piped up from where he was making faces at his baby sister.

Arista nodded again. "We're sure  _ hermano _ , like I said, we have our own music to listen to!" ...But as they turned to leave, the next song came on, with the unmistakable sound of a rocket taking off filling the room. Both father and daughter stopped dead in their tracks, exchanging conversational glances while Jack and Brady looked smug.

"...On second thought, maybe we can be persuaded to 'rock out' with you three. Just for one song."

Jack and Brady let out joyful whoops while Eli clapped her hands, wanting to make noise too. Mac shook his head with a rueful grin but took Rissy's hand and strode forward into the room, ready to dance and sing with his family.

Cleaning could wait.


End file.
